Note: this page covers the Standalone version of DayZ; for information on the Mod, see Mod:Navigating. Navigating Chernarus+ in DayZ Standalone is one of the more important skills one can acquire. There are multiple methods for navigation and though some may be easier than others, mastering all of them means that you'll never truly be lost in Chernarus no matter how far off the path you stray. Watching the movement of the clouds, sun, and stars is a good start.
If you have not yet found a Compass in-game, then here are some techniques to find what direction to travel in.
If you're on the south coast between Kamenka and Otmel with the sea at your back, north is straight forward. This only works if you are on the south coast (which you are most of the time when you are on a fresh spawn), though there is a chance that you spawn at the east coast between Solnichniy and Kamyshovo. In that case, straight forward is west.
In addition, most towns have a town sign to identify themselves and finding this sign (to determine what town you are in) is one of the first things you should do immediately upon spawning. Once you've determined what town you are in, you have a starting point to navigate elsewhere.
Find North Using a Watch
NOTE: The Watch has not yet been implemented in the DayZ Standalone.
Method 1
With your watch, check the time (Press O, your watch will be shown on the screen). The sun travels from East to West, so if it is 6 pm, the sun would be closer to the west side of Chernarus. If it is 9 AM, the sun would be closer to the East side. Therefore, if it is AM, the sun is closer to the East side. PM = West. If it's near 12 PM (noon), you will have to try another method listed below.
Method 2
If you've found a watch and do not have a compass, you can use shadows to find (roughly) north.
- find a shadow from a tree or other long object
- take out your watch and keep it horizontally (looking down)
- point the hour hand (short one) towards the sun
- draw a line from the center of your watch and between the hour hand and 12 o'clock
- north is at the other side of the center
Method 3
Use your watch or your vision to tell if the sun is rising or setting. The sun rises in the east and sets in the west. If the sun is in the east at the time, look at the sun (you are looking east) and north will be to your left. If the sun is setting, look at the sun (you will be looking west). Look to your right and that is north. South is obviously the opposite of that.
Clouds
The clouds in Chernarus always travel from the west to the east with the wind, opposite of the sun/moon cycle.
Northern Star
Especially during the night, it can be hard to orientate and very hard to know which direction you're walking. Since you can't use shadows, you'll need to rely on the stars. Here is how to do so:
- find the Big Dipper constellation
- draw a line from the 2 bottom stars and keep drawing this line upwards
- the next star you'll get is Polaris, the Northern Star
Power Lines
A network of high voltage power lines at Pass Oreshka
Power lines are a way to navigate the countryside of Chernarus. The network consists of a Power Plant, sub-stations, and high voltage transmission lines (the really tall ones) which go across nearly the entirety of Chernarus. Following power lines is a sure way to eventually find a town if you are lost.
The network begins at the Power Plant near Elektrozavodsk, eventually splitting into three and then five different routes. The first two lines head west going past Prigorodki, Dubky, Novoselky where they meet a sub-station outside Chapaevsk; from there two lines go south into Chernogorsk and two more go north past Kozlovka and Drozhino, meeting at a sub-station outside Zelenogorsk; finally, one line runs from this sub-station across the north passing Pogorevka, Novy Sobor, and Dubrovka, ultimately terminating at an end station in Berezino.
The third main line by itself heads north past Topolka Dam then splits: one line runs northeast past Msta and terminates at an end station in Solnichniy; the other goes northwest past Staroye and Shakhovka, terminating at an end station in Gorka.
Random Landmarks
See Key Locations
You can also find random land marks, such as crashed helicopters, to help tell friends where you are.
Railroads
An example: the Solnichniy train station
Railroads are another helpful method to know where a player has spawned.
Go to the coast, turn around 180° (face away from the sea) and walk straight ahead until you cross a railroad:
- You find the railroad before the main street: you are on the southern coast of Chernarus, between Kamenka and Elektrozavodsk.
- You find the railroad after the main street: you are on the eastern coast of Chernarus, between Elektrozavodsk and Berezino.
Just like the power lines, if you follow the railroads you will surely find a station -- often with the name of the town -- and the town itself.